The ninth parliament of Iran’s private sector was officially sworn in on Sunday, pledging to play a more decisive role in the country’s economic decision-making and launch internal reforms.
The first session of the Iranian private sector delegates was presided by Gholam Hossein Shafei, recently-reelected president of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA).
This first session was held in the north-eastern city of Mashhad, where Shafei keeps the post as president of the local chamber of commerce.
The meeting took place after the 16 July election that saw the formation of the new board of directors of the ninth ICCIMA, where Shafei was reelected as the body’s president.
Iran Chamber of Commerce kicked off its ninth round with the motto “Outstanding and Decision-Maker Chamber” that sets out the outlines of the new path ahead for the next four years.
“Some of the decision-making process and solutions for problems, caused by sanctions, was done through trial and error that has imposed huge costs on all sectors, especially producers and the vulnerable sectors of the society,” said Gholam Hossein Shafei addressing hundreds of delegates in Mashhad on Sunday.
“The ninth ICCIMA should play a more decisive role in economic decision-making by using the expertise of university elites and economic operators,” he added, mentioning that the private sector’s body needs to submit proposals based on experience and national interests.
Shafei, who has been heading the Iranian private sector parliament since 1 December 2013, also outlined his programme for better running Iran Chamber of Commerce as the umbrella organisation of all local chambers of commerce.
The Iranian businessman noted that ICCIMA will seek more transparency in the chamber, demand better approaches to boost production, take measures to strengthen exports to empower the Iranian private sector as well as establish a research centre at Iran Chamber of Commerce.